Railroad-rail joint



Dec. 15,1925.

S. E. BROWN RAILROAD RAIL JOINT Filed Nov, 22. 1924 Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL ELMER BROWN, OF FREDERICK, MARYLAND. n

RAILROAD-RAIL J' OIN T.

Application filed November 22, 1924.

To all whom l? may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL ELMER BROWN, a citizen ofi the United States, residing at Frederick, in the county of Frederick and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad rail joints, and has for one of its objects to provide a means for reducing the wear at the ends of abutting rail ends, andl also to reduce the noise caused by wheels passing over abutting rail ends;

A further object is to provide a means to firmly engage and support the rail at the joint, and to provide a fish plate possessing great transverse strength thereby increasing the life of the rails; and

A. further object is to provide a base plate which positively engages the fish plates and secures them against spreading, and also engages the wood rail tie; Y

Further objects will appear upon a reading of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a rail joint showing the inside fish plate;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the rail joint showing the outside fish plate, with the hump opposite the joint between the rails;

Fig. 3 is a top view of a rail joint showing the upper surfaces of the fish plates;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the joint on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the outer fish plate, showing the hump at the center, and the alternate elongated bolt holes; and

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the base plate showing the teeth which engage the tie to prevent slipping.

In Fig. 1, the rail ends 1, 1, are placed in abutting relation, and base plates 2, 2, placed upon the ties beneath the rail ends. An inside fish plate 3 is next placed with its lower web 4, Fig. 4, against the riser edge 5 of the base plate and pressed against the side of the rail so that the webs 6, 7 of the fish plate engage the side of the rail, and the upper edge 8 supports the rail head 9. The outside fish plate 10 is neXt placed so that its lower web 11 engages the outer riser 5 of the base plate 2, and is then pressed against the side of the rail so that- Serial No. 751,624.

its webs 12, 13, engage the side of the rail, and an upper edge 14 supports the rail head. The fish plate 10 is provided with an upper extension 15 which at its extremities 16 is nearly flush with the surface of the rail head, but which at its center is provided with a hump 17 rising sufiiciently above the surface of the rails at the joint to lift a wheel off of' the track, thereby relieving the ends of the rails of thel great weight of a locomotive or a car. The fish plate 10 is further provided with a flange 18 upon the rail side of the extension 15, the flange 18 and edge 14 engaging the edge of the rail head and n'iutually siiipporting each other while a train is passing. After the fish plates 3 and 10 are in place, suitable bolts 19 are passed through the registering openings in the fish plates and rails, and securely tightened, thereby firmly engaging the rail upon both sides, and upon theupper and lower sides of the rail head on the outer fish plate. The fish plates are provided with staggered or alternate elongated 20 and circular 21 bolt holes, Figli, so placed that an elongated hole on one side is opposite a circular hole on the other side. The bolts used are of the type having an elliptical section under the head, and the bolts are inserted fromopposite sides in adjacent holes, so that the elliptical portion of the bolt engages with the elongated hole, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This arrangement provides a firm support for the bolt in the circular hole, and also provides for the necessary enV pansion and contraction of the rails due to changes in temperature.

The fish plates are especially designed to provide a very rigid support to the track, the webs 6, 7, 12, 13, being made of considerable transverse thickness to provide great transverse strength, stiffness and rigidity, which construction prevents any bending or spreading of the rails at the joint; this feature, combined with the cooperating fianges or risers 5 of the base plates, which engage the fish plates, and the engagement of the track at the rail head and foot, as well as the embracing of the rail head by the outerV fish plate, collectively provide a support for the rails which possesses increased safety and longer life for the rails.

The base plates 2 are provided with pointlike projections 22 on the under side to penetrate and engage the surface of the wood tie; and are further provided with the usual holes 23 to receive the spikes 24.

Vilhcn the {ish plates are securely bolted against the rails, and the track straightened, the spikes are driven into the ties 25 as usual.

l claim:

l. A rail joint comprising a pair of fish plates provided with rail-engaging surfaces and longitudinal sti'dening and rail engaging weh-s one oi? said plates having railhead enilnneing; surfaces, the top oli said plate also provided with a wheel-raising hump, said iish plates provided with alternate elongated and circular bolt holes placed in staggered relation to each other, and a bottoni studded base plate to engage said fish plates.

2. A rail joint comprising a pair oi? iish plates provided with rail-engaging surfaces and longitudinal stiffening and rail engaging Webs a hase plate provided with risers to engage and hold the lower edges of the fish plates, one of said lish plates provided with 'rail-head embracing` surfaces, and means to secure the sh plates in lirin engagemenly with the rails, said hase pluto heing provided with a studded bottom.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alli); my signature.

SAMUEL ELMER BRONN. 

